


A Grand Gesture

by Nandireya



Category: Voltron Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-23 17:10:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11994261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nandireya/pseuds/Nandireya
Summary: For Kallura Month 2017Days 3 to 8Just what does Keith have in those belt pouches?  And what could it lead to?





	1. Compass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kallura Month 2k17  
> Day Three  
> Compass
> 
> Keith examines the contents of his belt pouches. One in particular catches Allura's eye...

Keith looked over his collection of things, laid out neatly on his bunk, absently chewing on his thumbnail as he considered each and every piece. It was basically everything he had in the world, the universe, actually. These paltry items were all he had that he could truly call his own.

His jacket had been tossed causally over his pillow, the pouched belt on top of it. Everything else he’d pulled out of those pouches. His life really didn’t add up to much. He looked at the drawing, the child-wrought rendering of the princess cradling him in her arms. He’d been so comfortable there, it had felt somehow right. He hadn’t wanted to leave. And the way she’d looked at him. He hadn’t been the only one who felt it, had he?

But what did he have to offer her? She was a princess, born to wealth and privilege. Everything in the massive Castle was rightfully hers. The lions, Voltron, the Castle itself, all hers. All he had were these few battered belongings. Even adding in the desert shack and his hoverbike back on Earth, it amounted to nothing in comparison.

Well, there might be one thing. It certainly wouldn't balance the scales, not by a long shot, but…

He reached for a small leather satchel, held closed with thin ties of the same material, pausing at a knock at his door. He turned towards it as a second later it opened.

“Keith.” Allura began. “I thought you might…” she trailed off as she noticed the items on his bed. “What’s all this?” She asked, truly curious. She didn’t recognise anything.

“My worldly effects.” He sighed. “Though, technically, most of it was my father’s.” It was all he’d managed to grab when social services had come to collect him after his father was gone.

Allura bent over to examine the display, a small red device of some kind with a white symbol on it, a collapsible metal cylinder, a rectangle made of what looked like animal hide and a circular item with a suspended arrow floating inside. It looked like some kind of ancient ticker. She reached out to touch it, but stopped. It wasn’t hers to touch.

“It’s a compass.” Keith told her. She frowned, obviously not knowing what that meant.

“It’s kind of a locator.” He explained as he picked it up. Taking her hand he placed it on her palm. “Or rather, it can show you the direction you want to go.”

Allura looked at it, watching the needle swing across the intricately marked surface. One arrow floating above many other arrows pointing in different directions, each labeled with tiny characters she didn’t recognise. She looked up as the floating one stopped moving.

“It’s pointing at you.” She noted.

“It can’t be.” Keith shook his head. “It won’t work in space. It’s needs a planet’s magnetic poles to actually do anything.”

“I may be reading it wrong.” She admitted. “But the suspended arrow is pointing at you.”

Keith frowned as he leaned over to look at the device Allura had cupped in her hands. It was, indeed pointing at him. Or at least in his direction.

“There must be something magnetic in the bulkhead.” He mused as he looked over his shoulder.

“Or perhaps you simply have a magnetic personality?” She suggestive with a smirk.

“Maybe it was a mistake to have you pilot the blue lion.” Keith snorted. “You’re starting to sound like Lance.”


	2. Aster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kallura Month  
> Day Four  
> Aster
> 
> The exploration of Keith's belongings reveals something that might connect his past to his future...

“What are these other items?” Allura asked as she placed the compass back amongst them.

“This is a Swiss Army knife.” He picked up the small red device and began pulling tiny tools of various kinds from its equally tiny depths. Files, saws, scissors, cutters of all kinds, pliers, screwdrivers, a glass disc, a tiny blade. “Very handy. I was always intrigued by it. Dad would never let me play with it, though.”

Allura raised a brow, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. The man did love his knives.

“This is a telescope.” He picked up the cylinder, extending it to its full length. “It’s used to look at things from a distance. There are bigger ones, better ones, but this one…” he held it gently, almost reverently with both hands. “It’s kind of a family heirloom. Passed from father to son over I don’t know how many generations. Dad and I, we used it to look at the stars mostly. He would point out this one really bright one that had a kind of reddish tint to it. Tell me my mom was…up there…” He trailed off with a frown.

“I always thought he meant she was in heaven. That’s a place where a lot of humans believe people go when they die.” He explained. “But…maybe…it never crossed my mind that he might actually be speaking literally.” 

Why would he? He’d never had any inkling that he was anything but human.

“And this?” Allura sat down on the bunk and lay a hand on the final item. The leather satchel.

“My Dad’s personal diary.” He said, picking it up. There were a few other things in there as well, but he felt it best to keep those to himself for the time being. “Though I've never actually read it.” He admitted.

“Never?” She frowned. “Not even after your recent…revelation?”

He just looked at her blankly. She rose and placed her hand on the diary.

“You never considered that there might be something in here about your mother?”

“Well…yeah.” He admitted. “But a diary is a private thing.”

“I don’t think he’d mind.” Allura smiled reassuringly.

Keith slowly untied the straps and opened the satchel, tipping out the small book within. It was also bound in leather with a zipper sealing it shut. He unzipped it and gently opened it. There were two small pockets stitched to the inside front cover, but he ignored them, to open the book itself, smoothing the pages with a gentle hand before he began flipping pages.

There was some writing that he recognised as his father’s hand.

“What are these?” Allura asked, gesturing to drawings on the pages. “Star charts?”

“Constellations.” Keith nodded. “My dad loved the stars. I guess it makes sensed he’d fall for someone who came from them.” 

Truth be told, even now he didn’t know if his mother was fully Galra, his own very human appearance would indicate that she wasn't, but he had no idea of how mixed bloodlines worked. Or about dominant and recessive genes. He knew there were other part-Galra out there now, and though some had some distinctly Galra traits, other’s didn’t.

“This one’s Scorpius.” He said running his hand over the drawing. His father had told him all about it, about his connection to it. He stopped when he felt a buckling in the paper.

“There’s something in here.” He frowned, flipping pages until he reached…

“A flower?”

It was small, with long, thin deep purple petals radiating out from a golden centre. It had been pressed flat in between the pages.

“What sort of flower is that?” Allura asked.

“I don’t know.” Keith admitted. “But the colouring is certainly familiar.”

“Definitely.” Allura nodded. “What was it marking?”

Keith looked down at the page and began to read aloud.

“‘It’s going to be difficult to explain where he came from, there’s no way I can get any kind of paperwork proving he’s mine without some kind of genetic testing and I can’t let that happen. There’s no telling what they might find in his blood. We’ll have to go off-grid for a while, lay low until I can make the contacts I reckon I need to get him a proper place in this world. It’ll be rough, I don’t know a thing about raising babies, and I don’t suppose there’s another baby quite like my boy. But at least I know his momma’s safe. He may never meet her, but I hope someday I'll be able to tell him about her. My heavenly flower. My beautiful Aster.’”

“That doesn't sound very Galran.” Allura frowned.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a flower.” Keith realised something as he turned the tiny, purple flower in his fingers. “Most likely this one.”

~~~~~~

Coran watched unnoticed as the pair left Keith’s room a short time later, each going in the opposite direction. The older man moved quickly to fall in step with the dark-haired paladin. He liked the boy, but things seemed to be taking a certain turn between him and Allura lately, and there were protocols that must be adhered to regarding interaction with Altean royalty. One did not simply enter into a casual fling with a princess. If the boy had any intentions towards his precious charge they had better be serious and long term. Assuming he had any intentions at all.

“So,” he said casually. “What exactly were you and the princess doing in your quarters?”

Keith looked at the man briefly before answering.

“Talking.”

“Talking?” He repeated.

“Just talking.” Keith assured him.

“About what?”

“Flowers.”

“Ah, yes . The princess always did love flowers.” Coran smiled wistfully. “Why, I remember when she’d spend hours running around the juniberry fields outside the palace just to be among them and their sweet perfume.”

“Juniberries?” Keith stopped.

“They were beautiful.” Coran sighed. He pulled a small disc from his pocket. He ran a finger along its smooth surface, then twisted it to activate the holographic image of a deep pink flower. It reminded Keith of a lily. He handed the disc to Keith. “They were her favourite. If only she could see them again. It would bring such a smile to her face.”

With the idea planted into the young paladin’s head, he gave him a small salute and walked away. It would be interesting to see what he did with it.

~~~~~~

Some time later the black lion launched alone. The remaining paladins quickly assembled on the bridge.

“Where the hell is he going?” Lance demanded, marching up to the main communications console to find out just that.

“Is he pulling another crazy stunt like the one that almost got us killed on that stupid misty, gassy planet?” Pidge grumbled.

“Everything’s fine, paladins.” Coran said, stepping in front of the console Lance was striding towards, spreading his arms to deny him access. “He’s still so new to the black lion. To be a more efficient leader he felt he should get a few more parsecs under his belt.” He explained. “He cleared it with me.”

Lance considered it for a moment. “That's actually not a bad idea.” He admitted. “Red’s controls are so touchy, I could use some practice too.”

“I could as well.” Allura sighed.

“It probably would have been better to do it as a team, though, right?” Hunk added.

“Yeah.” Pidge agreed. “Keith’s gotta get out of that loner mindset of his and do things for others.”

~~~~~~

The black lion descended gracefully to the surface of Olkarion. Ryner, along with several other Olkari, were waiting at the foot of the ramp when Keith stepped from the cockpit. They bowed their heads respectfully as he reached them.

“Our condolences for your loss.” She said.

“Thank you.” Keith replied. “But we haven’t given up on him just yet.”

“Nor should you.” She agreed. “There are many mysteries in the universe. And in the Lions of Voltron as well.” She placed a hand on Black’s claw before turning to Keith. “What can we do for you?”

“You’re good with plants, right?”


	3. Sapphire

Allura took in a deep breath and slowly let it out in the hopes of settling the butterflies in her stomach. She could do this.

Ahead of her was an asteroid belt. Hundreds upon thousands of lazily drifting pieces of rock of various size, composition and lethal potential. If the other paladins could get through, so could she. She nudged Blue forward, feeling the lion resist a little. She could understand that. She didn’t really want to go in there either. But she had to. She had to prove she could do this. She was the least experienced of the pilots, the others had been flying their lions for months now, and even though Keith and Lance had been forced from their original seats, they were still far more adept in piloting lions than she was. She had to catch up.

She slammed the control levers forward and blasted towards the asteroids. She twisted quickly to the right, then left, leaning in her seat as she did so even though she knew it made no difference. Blue let out an indignant roar as they grazed against a sizeable lump of rock.

“I’m sorry!” She apologised, overcompensating by wrenching the controls in the complete opposite direction and smashing Blue’s shoulder against another piece of unyielding debris.

“Don’t make your moves so big.”

She turned as Keith stepped from the shadowy recesses of the cockpit.

What was he doing here? How had he gotten aboard? Since when did the cockpit even have a shadow recess for him to be stepping from? And why was he wearing nothing but his swimming attire when they were flying in deep space? Wasn’t he cold? She doubted the small, white towel draped so nonchalantly about his shoulders offered him any real warmth.

“You need to be subtle.” He breathed in her ear as he somehow got behind her. His hands ran down her arms to come to rest on her own, white-knuckled on the control grips.

“The lions are very sensitive.” He continued in that same distracting, ever-so-husky voice. “You just need to make the slightest of adjustments.” His hands shifted, guiding hers to move Blue gracefully around each obstacle that presented itself. “Just the tiniest correction in your flight path is all you need.”

His hands fell away, leaving her to pilot without his guidance, but she could still feel his presence by her shoulder.

She followed his suggestion. Navigating through the asteroids was still challenging, and there were many close calls, but Blue didn’t connect with anything.

“I did it!” She cried triumphantly, throwing her arms skywards as she’d seen Lance do on so many occasions when things went his way.

“I knew you could.” Keith smiled as he reached out to gently remove her helmet, setting her hair free to tumble down her back. If she’d been more aware of herself she would have questioned why her hair was unpinned. She always wore it up when she was piloting. But she was distracted by the young man before her. By the way his thumb gently stroked her cheek. By the way he held her gaze with eyes of the deepest, darkest indigo. With an almost wicked smirk he leaned forward…

Her eyes widened. Her gasp sent the mice scattering.

A dream.

Of course it was a dream. Keith was never that confident, that forward, when interacting with her. With anyone.

She sighed, letting her head drop back into her pillows. This wasn't the first time she’d dreamed about him like this, but they were getting steadily…worse…?

No. Worse was not the right word. It indicated that she was ashamed that she thought about him, even subconsciously, in such a manner. A little embarrassed perhaps, but not ashamed. Still, he was too present in her thoughts now. She knew sleep would elude her for the rest of the cycle.

Flipping off her covers she set out from her chambers to wander the ship. She didn’t care that she was in her sleep attire, it was modest and the others had seen her in it. Besides, she doubted anyone else was still awake.

Then she heard it. The muffled sound of battle. Someone was using the training deck. But who would be doing so at such an hour? Though she knew the answer even before she finished forming the question.

She didn’t enter the deck itself, she had no idea what he was up to in there, but given the noise level it had to be pretty intense. The deck was heavily insulated, all but soundproof, so for her to be able to hear anything outside its walls he must have set it at an extremely high level.

Her eyes widened as she entered the control room. The deck below her was littered with gladiator parts. Keith stood, breathing heavily, inside a ring of six more, a sword in each hand. One was his bayard, the other…

She hadn’t seen it, but she knew of it. His awoken blade, his Blade of Mamora. The weapon tied to his Galran blood. And it was obviously that was the blood that was in command now, given the look on his face. It was an expression of intense, but controlled, rage. His dark eyes flicked from one faceless opponent to the other.

Then they charged.

He moved with a powerful, effortless grace. She could see that all his time spent in here had not been wasted. One robot lost its head to his bayard, a second was skewered by the Mamoran blade. Another lost an arm and was sent into the wall by a savage kick to the midsection. The remaining three began to circle him, his breathing even more ragged now.

Allura frowned. He was obviously tiring, she wondered how long he’d been at this. She brought up the specs of his workout. “By the Ancients.” She whispered. She took one last look at Keith, then ran from the control room.

She stormed onto the training deck to find Keith had dealt with two of the remaining three battle-bots, but the third had grabbed him from behind. He was struggling to pull its staff away from his throat.

“End sequence!” She snapped just as he managed to find the leverage he needed to lift the droid and fling it over his shoulders. The hard-light holographic creation dissipated before it could hit the ground.

He was confused for a moment, looking around as all his hard work vanished. Then he turned to her, deactivating both blades.

“What the hell, Allura!?” He snarled.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed!?” She stormed up to him. “Training for hours in the middle of the night with no spotter and the safeties off!?”

“You think Lotor and his generals are gonna fight with the safeties on!?” He countered. “If we’re gonna win this war we better be damn well ready to actually fight it.”

“That’s why we have a training deck.” She shot back. “So we can hone our skills without risking our lives to do it.”

Keith sighed and she could see the anger begin to drain out of him. He turned away from her.

“What does it matter.” He said quietly. “I’m pretty superfluous anyway.”

“How can you say that?” She gasped.

“Five lions, six paladins.” He shrugged as he began walking across the deck. “Even Lance can do that math.” He stopped where he’d left a towel and some water bags. Dropping down he pulled the towel around his neck, rubbing at his sweaty hair before spearing a water bag and taking in a long drink.

“What are you talking about?” She questioned as she followed him. “You’re the pilot of the black lion. You're the head of Voltron!”

“I may be the head, but I’m not the leader.” He said. “You’ve got Shiro back for that. It’s just a matter of time until Black figures it out.”

“Even if Shiro does resume his role...” She began as she sat down beside him. “…that doesn’t mean you’re no longer needed.”

“One of us will have to step down.” He pointed.

“It doesn’t have to be you.” She said. “Red would…”

“I can’t do that to Lance.” He shook his head. “Or to you.”

She lowered her eyes. If he took back Red, Lance would want Blue back. Some might see her moving from piloting the Castle to piloting a lion, moving from Princess to Paladin, as a demotion. But she’d become part of a far greater whole. Truth be told, she was loath to give it up.

“I’m the obvious choice.” He sighed, looking at his hands. “When word gets out that my blood is…tainted…”. He looked away. Allura couldn't argue with that. Since forming the alliance with them, the Blades of Mamora had been instrumental to the success of many operations, covert or otherwise. They’d risked their lives to help free numerous planets from Zarkon’s forces, and yet they were still met with suspicion, if not out open hostility. She dreaded to think how they would react if they were to ever learn that the head of Voltron was kin to them.

“Besides…” he didn’t look at her, didn’t even raise his head. “Since Shiro got back, no one’s listening to me.”

She’d never seen him like this. So lost, so vulnerable. She’d seen his anger, his strength, his pain, even his compassion. But not this.

“Maybe we should.” She sighed. “You didn’t want to go into that rift. You warned me it could be a trap. But you went, because you wouldn’t let me go alone. And now Lotor has that meteor, because of me.”

“Allura…” he turned to her. “You just wanted to believe your people were still out there…” And she could see his compassion again, even through his own uncertainties, his own loss of purpose, shining in his eyes. Not indigo, like in her dream, but vivid sapphire, precious and rare like the gemstone they resembled. Much like the man himself.

“They weren't my people.” She shook her head. “Just like you’re not superfluous.”

“Shiro’s the better leader.” He protested.

“He’s not better.” She said. “Just different. Like Lotor’s different to Zarkon. I think you’re the leader we need right now. And I think Black senses that too. We need someone who follows their instincts. Someone who’s unpredictable. Someone who’s a little crazy.”

“Crazy enough to train alone with the safeties off?” He arched a brow.

“Yes. Don’t do that again.”


	4. Free Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you just need a day off...

Lance flopped down on one of the sunken couches letting out an exhausted moan. Hunk sat down heavily on the tiny amount of space that remained, leaning back into the cushions.

“We can’t go on like this.” Lance groaned, covering his eyes with his arms.

Pidge staggered in and collapsed on her stomach on the couch opposite the pair, burying her face in the soft surface.

The door hissed open again as Allura entered, Keith a few steps behind.

“Alright, fellow paladins!” The princess said brightly. “Who’s up for a session on the training deck?”

“Are you serious?” Lance questioned, uncovering his eyes momentarily to throw a scathing glare at the pair while Hunk threw his head back with an obvious negative sound of exasperation. “Nuts to that!”

Pidge muttered something incomprehensible into the sofa cushions, but the gesture she made with her hand clearly expressed her feelings regarding the idea. At least to Keith, who was a little startled to see her do such a thing to a princess.

“We don’t all have your stamina.” Hunk explained to the only standing paladins.

“You would if you trained more.” Keith pointed out.

“Come on, man!” Lance swung himself to an upright sitting position. “We need some down time!”

“Doesn’t sound like an unreasonable request.” Shiro admitted with a shrug as he joined them. “You’ve been pushing yourselves really hard lately.”

“We need to find some kind of lead on what Lotor’s up to.” Keith began.

“We haven't seen hide nor hair of him for weeks.” Shiro reminded him.

“All the more reason we should be looking.” Keith countered.

“One day off isn't going to make a big difference. Besides…” Shiro put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “If you keep going like this without a break you’re going to burn out. If you do that you’re not going to be effective against Lotor when you do find him.”

“Exactly!” Lance agreed enthusiastically. Hunk looked hopeful. Pidge rolled onto her side.

“Fine.” Keith grumbled, looking away. Allura glanced at him, a slight frown creasing her brow. He had confided in her exactly about this kind of thing. Keith was trying so hard to be the leader they’d agreed for him to be, and after a less than stellar beginning he’d been growing into it. Then Shiro had returned. And every time he contradicted Keith, the team would side with him. It was little wonder Keith’s confidence had fractured.  
  
“So this is where everyone is.” Coran said as he walked in. “This message just arrived for you.” He handed a tablet to Keith.

“Who’s sending you messages?” Lance asked suspiciously.

“Ryner.” He said flatly.

“The Olkari?” Pidge sat up. “Are they okay?”

“Awwwww, man.” Lance lamented. “There goes our day off.”

“I can handle it myself.” Keith said. “Go and do…whatever it is you want to do.”

“Sweet!” Lance beamed. “I’m thinking we hit the space mall!”

“Can we actually get some gac this time?” Pidge asked. “I don’t fancy swimming for coins again.”

“Do we even have gac?” Hunk asked.

Allura smiled. The thought of perhaps being able to accompany them this time evaporated though when she realised Keith had sacrificed his own day off to handle whatever the Olkari needed by himself. He was standing apart from the growing party mood of his friends, scanning the message, his expression unreadable.

“Do you want some backup?” She asked.

“Huh?” He looked up, turning off the screen as she spoke. He glanced over to the others, each getting more and more excited at the prospect of a day spent aimlessly wandering stores. He guessed they’d forgotten about that Galra mall cop who’d given them so much trouble. “You don’t want to go with the others?” He asked. “Get yourself something sparkly?”

Coran bustled over, moustache bristling.

“I think it would be best for you not to go alone, Keith.” He nodded. He hadn’t wanted the princess to go last time. It seemed that hadn’t changed. “You could probably use someone with better diplomacy skills.”

_‘Or any at all.’_ Hung in the air unspoken as Keith threw the man an unamused stare.

“You’re probably right.” He conceded.


	5. Hoverbike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kallura Month  
> Day Seven  
> Hoverbike
> 
> Keith takes Allura for a little spin.

There had been some debate as to how they were going to get to Olkarion. They decided against a pod, for safety reasons. They had no weapons and they had no idea where Lotor and his generals were, and if any if them were to make an appearance they’s be sitting ducks. Or would that be duflax? Duflaxes?

So a lion, then. Heavily armed and wickedly fast. But which one? Finally they decided on Blue. Allura needed more practice piloting than he did, and it seemed she really wanted to. So Keith had agreed. The visit was pretty much all about her, after all. Even if she didn’t know it.

“Coming up on Olkarion.” Allura said as she adjusted the controls for landing.

“You know.” Keith commented from where he was leaning against a control panel. “If we’re gonna use the lions like this we might want to consider installing some kind if passenger seat.”

“Just brace yourself for landing.” Allura chuckled.

 

~~~~~

 

Ryner bowed her head respectively as the pair of paladins disembarked from Blue.

“Princess, Paladin.” She nodded to each in turn. “It’s good to see you both again.” She threw Keith a knowing look. The Olkari really were a little too smart for their own good. And his.

“Is everything alright here?” Allura asked, concern in her voice.

“Everything is fine, princess.” The Olkari smiled. “Though there is something outside the city you need to have a look at.” She turned to Keith. “I can provide you with the necessary transportation.”

“I got it covered.” Keith grinned. “I’ll be back in a tic.”

This trip was only _mostly_ for Allura.

 

~~~~~~

 

Allura and Ryner had been making small talk when a deep rumble from inside the lion interrupted them.

“What is this?” Allura asked as Keith pulled up beside them on a bright, shiny hoverbike. She lay a curious hand on its highly polished surface. It was similar to the lion speeders though it lacked their armour and enclosed cockpit, in fact it lacked a cockpit at all. It was basically a covered engine with a seat, rotors and controls attached.

“A little something Hunk and I have been working on.” He smirked.

“You?” Allura arced a playful brow. Unlike Hunk he wasn’t known for his engineering prowess.

“I may not know how to fabricate the parts, but I know my way around an engine.” He snorted in mock indignation. “I had a bike like this back on Earth.” He ran a hand lovingly along its side. “It was bigger…Altean tech’s more advanced so we were able to make it smaller but just as powerful.”

“Was that one red too?” Allura asked.

“I have a thing for the colour.” He shrugged.

“It appears to be mostly mechanical.” Ryner noted as she stepped up to examine the hoverbike. She touched one enclosed rotor with a gentle hand. Hover-technology. Nothing to contact or harm the ground. Perfect for their environment.

“Yeah.” Keith confirmed. “But Hunk installed a…I guess it’s a GPS.” He taped a screen on the dash.

“Excellent.” Ryner nodded as she activated it and began entering data. She leaned over and spoke quietly to Keith, the same knowing look on her face. “This is where you need to go.”

“Thank you.” He replied, feeling suddenly shy, not able to meet her eyes. He checked the readout as he threw his leg over the bike. A small red dot flashed at the top of the screen. “Ready?” He offered Allura his hand.

She looked at his hand, then the bike, then at him. It wasn’t the most lady-like form of transport, not befitting of a princess at all. Maybe the lion speeder would be a better option, he’d just really wanted to try out the bike. But then she took his hand and swung up behind him.

“You might want to hold on.” He grinned wickedly back at her.

“Huh?” She questioned, eyes widening as he gunned the engine. He heard her startled scream as he opened it up. Her arms wrapped around him, tightly but not fearfully he noted.

It accelerated like a dream. He’d expected no less from Hunk’s engineering expertise. And the manoeuvrability as he wove between the trees was nothing short of spectacular. He had missed this. Piloting a lion was amazing, but he couldn't feel the engine, the change in its sound as he shifted through the gears. He couldn’t feel the wind against his skin or tossing about his hair.

“This is amazing!” Allura cried in delight from behind him. He afforded a quick look back to see the expression on her face. She was grinning widely, her beautiful hair a silver stream behind her. When he’d flown like this back on Earth, escaping from the military instillation that had been built around Shiro's crash site, his passengers had been terrified. Over open ground that he was familiar with.

But not Allura. She trusted him completely. In some ways she was just as reckless as he was. She just kept it hidden better under her regal veneer. He was glad she could be herself around him.

The trees were thining out and at the speed the were travelling they quickly broke from them. Now in the open he could find out what the bike could really do. Allura leaned in closer, her arms tightening around him as she rested her chin on his shoulder. He hoped she didn’t feel him stiffen slightly, that she’d write off the sudden darkening of his cheeks to the wind sheer from the increased acceleration or something.

He glanced down at his dash as the red spot began to flash more urgently. They were coming up on the coordinates Ryner had input into the bike’s positioning system. He squeezed the breaks gently, shedding speed, turning the bike as they coasted to a stop at the bottom of a slight incline. The spot indicated they were right where they were supposed to be.

He slid off the bike then turned to help Allura down. Her hair was mussed and her cheeks were bright pink, whether from the ride or something else he wasn’t sure. As his hands closed on her waist to assist her to the ground the colour deepened and she glanced away shyly. He hoped his swallow wasn’t as audible as he thought it was.

“This way.” He said, gesturing up the slight rise. “I think…”

As they reached the top both let out a startled gasp at what they saw before them. Two sets of vibrant blue eyes widened.

“Well.” Keith breathed. “This is more than I expected.”

 


	6. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kallura Month 2017  
> Day Eight  
> Lost and Found
> 
> Something Allura thought lost forever is found...sort of...

“By the Ancients.” Allura whispered as she gazed into the natural basin below. The entire area, from one ridge to the other, was full of familiar, deep pink flowers. She was barely able to tear her eyes away in order to look at him.

“How…?” She stammered slightly, taking a step right up the edge. “Did you do this?”

“No.” Keith said as he stepped up beside her. “The Olkari did. I just asked if they could.”

Allura covered her mouth with her hands as she stepped down the small slope to walk amongst the blooms, uncertain whether to laugh or cry. She settled on both. When she reached the centre, she sat down, taking in the incredible sight surrounding her. She looked up at Keith who had followed her silently.

“Why?” She asked.

“Coran said you liked flowers.” He shrugged as he sat down beside her.

“You did all this for me?” She breathed. Why would he do such a thing? Why would he make such a grand gesture? Unless…?

“And my mom.” He said softly as he gently touched one of the flowers. As she looked at his fingers she could see the golden centre, the purple blush around it that lightened as it spread up the petal until it faded into the pink.

“The aster.” She noted.

“They incorporated it into the graft.” He told her. “They’re not true juniberry flowers.” He admitted. “They had to combine lots of different species to get a flower that resembled them. I think they did a pretty good job.”

“A very good job.” Allura nodded, reaching out to touch one. She didn't dare pick it. She didn’t want to see his beautiful gift wither and die. “So…I guess they’re asterberry flowers?”

“As good a name as any.” He smiled. “Do you…like them…?” He added when she fell silent.

“Of course I like them.” She confirmed, maybe a little loudly. “It’s just…I don’t have anything to give you in return.” She admitted.

“I didn’t do this expecting anything from you.” He said. “I did it because…” he trailed off with a slight frown. Either he wasn’t sure why he’d done it or he was unable to put it into words.

“There is one thing I've kind of been wanting to give you for a while now.” She said softly. She could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks as she glanced away, shyness suddenly overcoming her.

She’d been waiting for him to broach the subject, as it were. In all the stories she could recall, everything she’d been told, everything she expected, it was the not the gentle princess who initiated these things. But then, she was far from the stereotypical royal. And he was, well, him. Socially inept, unable to pick up on even the most unsubtle of clues when it came to interacting with others. If things were going to advance she would have to be the one to set them in motion.

Then she had waited from some kind of sign from him. He’d always spoken so softly, so gently to her, except on the rare occasions when his temper had flared. But she hadn’t been sure if that had been out of respect for her position of authority or that it was an indication that he thought of her differently to the rest of the crew. After all, he usually spoke to Shiro in a similar tone.

Then he had done this. She took in the field around her. One didn’t ask a race of highly advanced, techno-organically creative beings to recreate a long dead plant species, it's beauty lost to the passage of time, because they thought it might make someone else happy, unless they cared deeply for that someone.

Finally she just needed the proper time and place. And what better place was there than a field of flowers he’d secretly had propagated for her simply because he thought she’d like it?

She looked back at him to find him watching her expectantly, a hint of confusion in his wide, deep blue eyes.

“To the Levels with it.” She muttered, closing the distance between them, she pressed her lips to his.

She imagined those eyes widening even more in shock as she felt more than heard him gasp. She didn’t complain. His quick inhalation had forced his mouth to open slightly giving her better opportunity to deepen the kiss.

She had intended for it to be quick. A sweet, gentle, almost chaste kiss reminiscent of the drawing tucked into the frame of her mirror back on the Castle. But she hadn’t reckoned on Keith’s reaction. Or his response.

He straightened up from the slightly reclined position she had forced him into when she’d initiated their moment, and in doing so committing himself more forcefully to it. One hand found her shoulder while the other curled around her neck to cradle the back of her head, holding her firmly but gently so he could devour her lips completely.

She knew now he truly was the Guardian of Fire. He may be piloting a different lion, but his connection to his true element hadn’t changed. She could feel the heat emanating off his body in waves. Or was that from her? Or from them both? A collision of fiery passion too long denied?

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him even closer as she tangled her fingers in his hair. So thick, so luxurious, so untamed.

“I…” he mumbled against her lips “…made us…” he continued as he took in a quick breath, never breaking contact “…a picnic…”

She paused. Was he seriously thinking about food? She pulled back, a little startled to find his eyes had darkened from vivid sapphire to the deep indigo she’d seen in her dreams. Were they some indicator of his mood? Shifting colours with his emotions?

She didn’t want to think about that right now. She didn’t want to think about the war or the future. She certainly didn’t want to think about food.

“Later.” She murmured, her hands closing on his face, her lips finding his again.

“Uh huh.” He agreed as they sank into the flowers.


End file.
